Did Matt Damon Blame Jennifer Lopez For Ben Affleck's Bad Reputation?

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's second chance romance has given hope to romantic hopefuls who believe in love's enduring power. While the A-listers only dated for 18 months before calling it quits in 2004, per People, they packed in a lifetime of spectacle into their brief romance, including a major motion picture, "Gigli," and Lopez's music video for "Jenny From the Block." Of course, you can't forget about all of the public outings and steamy PDA. In the time since, Lopez and Affleck have lived a lot of life. Lopez, who'd already been married twice, famously married her third husband Marc Anthony only five months after ending things with Affleck, per History, and eventually welcomed twins. Meanwhile, Affleck moved on with another famous Jen — Jennifer Garner, that is. Ultimately, both unions failed, leaving the door wide open for Bennifer 2.0 to make a resurgence.  

Lopez and Affleck first reignited romance rumors after Lopez's spring 2021 breakup with Alex Rodriguez, per Page Six. Within months, the former flames had slowly crept back into the spotlight. Now, Lopez and Affleck are married and seem to be enjoying their reconciliation. And while many of their fans are on board, some have pointed out possible cracks in Ben and Jen's relationship. With that said, these observant fans aren't the only ones who have — or have had — strong opinions about Lopez and Affleck. Affleck's best friend, fellow actor Matt Damon, has also spoken about their bond ...  and his thoughts were not nice.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have dealt with many naysayers over the years regarding their courtship. However, Matt Damon enjoys a proximity to the couple that most don't, making his past comments even more serious. Back in 2015, Damon shared his unfiltered thoughts about how Affleck's past relationship with Lopez impacted his reputation. "There's nobody who's more misunderstood," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "Ten years ago, the public image of him could not have been farther apart from who he actually is. It was like he was being cast in a role, that he was a talentless kind of meathead, with his whole relationship with Jennifer Lopez. He just got cast as this person that he wasn't." 

Damon continued, "It was painful to be his friend, because it wasn't fair, you know? To my mind, nobody really got him at all."  Of course, this wasn't the only time Damon spoke out about Bennifer's relationship. In 2021, during a New York Times profile, Damon recalled an old conversation he had with Affleck, where he supposedly expressed concern about their relationship overshadowing his career. "I'm in the worst place I can be," Affleck reportedly said in 2003. "I can sell magazines but not movie tickets."

Despite Matt Damon's outspoken opinion about the way Jennifer Lopez's relationship with Ben Affleck affected his friend, it appears he's more supportive of their relationship today. After Bennifer 2.0 began dominating the headlines, Damon fielded questions about the rumored romance during an appearance on "Today" — but he refused to spill the beans. "There's not enough liquor in the world for you to get me to say something about that," said Damon during the broadcast. "I hope it's true. I love them both. I hope it's true. That would be awesome."

If you're wondering whether or not Lopez is salty about how opinionated Damon has been about her relationship, it appears she's not sweating the small stuff. Not only did Damon attend Lopez and Affleck's whirlwind wedding (and also rode away in their private jet after the festivities, per Page Six), but Lopez even defended Damon's previous "Today" interrogation. "You guys really gave [Matt] a hard time," Lopez said during her 2022 "Today" appearance (via Entertainment Tonight). "I felt so bad for him. I was like, 'Oh my god.'"